In communications networks, in particular, in telecommunications networks handling of overloads and handovers is a challenging task.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,172 B1 describes a method for performing topology database synchronization in an ATM network between two nodes wherein one of the nodes is in an overload state. Database synchronization is used in ATM networks for distributing link state parameters to all topology databases in a peer group. Database synchronization ensures that the members of the peer group maintain an identical view of the group. Overload information is only evaluated locally within nodes of the same peer group and does not cross hierarchy levels in the network.
Some of known communications systems provide a transport overload indicator and a radio resource overload indicator for handling of overloads. In the known systems, the radio resource overload indicator is a cell specific indicator as the entire radio resource is reused in each cell. The transport overload indicator, in turn, is a site specific indicator, which is set when the sum of the traffic received from all cells concerning a site indicates an overload situation. The radio resource overload indicator being set in a cell omits any handover to this cell from any other cell. The radio resource overload indicator, in turn, has no means for differentiating of the cause of the overload occurred in the network. This, however, causes wrong, false, or deficient handling of handovers.
Further, the known methodologies for handling of overloads and handovers still require too much load and/or act too slow with regard to the overload situation occurred in the communications network.
Thus, there is still a need for improving handling of overloads in communications networks. Furthermore, also handling of handovers after an overload has occurred is still an issue for improvements.